The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-05-28
AUNT AMELIA'S ADVICE.

these words we're spoken one bright
winter morning by the young mistress of
a charmingly appointed city house. She
stood by the window of her cosy library,
looking down into the street, her FORE
head drawn into innumerable little wrin-
kles, and her whole air indicating that
she was not in harmony with the gay
bright morning.
Everything seems wrong somehow"
she went on. five been doing just as
Aunt Amelia said, and have had at leaat
Blk girls in the last month, while trying
to carry out her theory
A knock at the door interrupted her
train of thought, and she turned to en-
counter her second girl, who had arrived
three days before, with recommendations
showing her to be thoroughly competent.
According to directions, Laura had let her
severely alone, after having designated to
her in general sort OF way what her
work would be.
"Well, what is it, Katy?"
please, ma'am, Mary says it's not her
work to answer the bell; and 1 want to
go out this afternoon, and who'll 90 to
the door?"
"Really I can't be bothered with all
these questions answered Laura, true
to the principles upon which she was
trying to act. "You and Mary muet set
tie it somehow"
"And Mary says she's going out when
ever she feels like it, when her works
done; and how am going to know when I
can go, If we don't each have an afternoon?
And l can't stay if I've got to do all the
work on Monday, and Mary won't leave
her washing for anything"
II can't discuss it with you now, Katy,
but you may go out this afternoon, and
1 will see that the bell is answered"
The girl turned and left the room.
"That's just the way it is all the time,"
sighed the young housekeeper. I haven't
had two girls yet who didn't quarrel over
the work, and think if I had began by
clearly defining each girls work it would
have been better"
just then the door bell rang. A mo-
ment after young lady entered the
room and soon the two friends were
chatting costly.
"Don't ever go to housekeeping, Nellie,
unless You want to spoil your temper"
said Laura, half iokingly and half Sc
rously.
"Why, what's the trouble now" said
Nellie laughing. Has the last cook ruined
the dinner and Disguised your husband?"
"Not exactly that, but everything
seems wrong. Somehow, miss the air
of fine housekeeping that pervaded my
mothers home 1 always thought she
was too careful, and now Tn afraid I've
gone to the other extreme. I've been
trying an experiment this last six months
and have come to the conclusion that it
won't work; and I'm going to start rev.
olution,-therep
The determined air and the stamp of
her foot provoked burst OF merriment
from Nellie.
"Tell me about your troubles, SO that
/ can sympathize."
swell, to begin with, started in with
the idea of letting my servants alone, as
long as they did the work in the course
of time, and Of not wearing myself out
over household cares, but 1 believe I
could have done the work myself and
been less worried. In the first place, my
present cook is the fourth new one this
month. can't begin to tell you the
troubles had with the others; but one,
think would have made an excellent SER
want, if had taken little pains to di-
rect her work and show her about few
things which she didn't do quite as like
to have them done. And SO it's been all
the way through. If have company to
dinner, go down to the table in fear and
trembling. And that isn't the worst of
it,; the work isn't systematic, everything
drags, and find that girls will not sys-
temise their work, if allowed to do just
as they please; and, of course, not half
the work is accomplished that might be-"
"What do you propose to do about it ?"
said Nellie, seeing that her friend was in
earnest.
I'm going to turn over new leaf, and
strike happy medium, if I can. be-
lieve there is such thing as being too
particular, and giving up to household
duties time that might be spent more
profitably in attending to ones family, to
society, and to self-improvement; but
do not think that any woman, unless she
be wealthy enough to command number
OF thoroughly trained servants, can ex-
pect her home to breathe an atmosphere
of happiness and comfort, unless she de-
votes part OF her time to seeing that the
trust her husband reposes in her is full
filed. OF course, it's different if you
have old trained servants upon whom
you can rely; but do think the average
girl needs certain amount of looking
after"
"That's just what think" broke in
Nellie; "and your girls will have great
deal more respect for you if they find
you know how things ought to be done,
and that you interest yourself to see that
they are DONE"
swell, Pm gong to try it. I don't
| want tn WAR novealf ont and don,t ha